As they reach adulthood, the majority of childhood cancer survivors are unaware of the details of their treatment and the potential long-term health risks. As a result, many childhood cancer survivors do not seek the recommended aftercare from cancer specialists to monitor their health.

The researchers did report that childhood cancer survivors do see the family physician on a regular basis, but the experts feel these survivors should be seeing a specialist for the best in aftercare. I am not a childhood cancer survivor -- but I am a cancer survivor -- and I will tell you after active treatment for cancer I switched back to seeing my family physician as soon as I could for my aftercare. For me, it was psychologically beneficial. As long as I was seeing the oncologist, who happened to have her office in the same place where I received my chemotherapy, I was constantly reminded of the worst phase of my cancer. I felt stuck in time. I know if I develop any symptoms of cancer recurrence, my family physician will send me back to see a cancer specialist. In the meantime, when I go to see the doctor now, I feel like a normal person with a normal future. I am speculating, but this might be one of the reasons childhood cancer survivors seek their medical care from a family physician over an oncologist. I am not sure I feel the same concern as the experts do when it comes to where childhood cancer survivors go to receive aftercare -- as long as they are seeing a physician on a regular basis.